Love and Friendship
by Wendy McCalister
Summary: "You're more important to me than you know. You're a friend, a brother." / "Why! Tell me why you live! It's for us! It's for Botan, am I right!" / "Listen to me, you idiot, and do it well. You'd better heed this well, Minamino, if you don't, I'll curse you from my grave, and everywhere else until I get my satisfaction-Don't make her cry." Sequel to "Tell Me You Love Me." ON HOLD.
1. Chapter 1

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. It belongs to Yoshihiro Togashi.**

**Chapter 1**

Natsume stared at nothing in particular. Sometimes he regretted it. There were times he wished he could turn back time. If only he could go back. Back before he dumped Botan.

"Natsume," someone called. He snapped out of his thoughts and turned his head to his blue-haired companion, Yuji. He arched an eyebrow at him. Yuji shook his head. "So how's things goin' with Botan and her boyfriend?" he asked. Natsume sighed. Why did his friend had to bring that up?

"How am I supposed to know?" he snapped. Yuji cringed. "Shit, sorry for askin'," he apologized. The raven-haired teen shook his head. "Let's not talk about it, okay?" he suggested, suddenly sounded tired. The blue head just nodded his head.

Of course Natsume knew it was his fault. If he hadn't let go of her, she would've ended up with Kurama. It all started with a simple game of Truth of Dare.

"_Hey, Natsume, truth or dare?" his brown friend, Ken asked, arching an eyebrow at him, as if challenging him._

_Natsume smirked. "Dare."_

"_Okay," Ken started and the smirk that was on his face widened. "You know Botan, right?" he asked although it sounded more like a statement._

_Natsume arched a delicate eyebrow quizzically at him. "Of course I do. She's a friend," he replied bluntly._

_Ken's smirk widened slightly. "I dare you to be her boyfriend, then."_

_Natsume stared at him with a shock and bewildered look. "What?" he asked. "You heard me," Ken said. The raven-haired teen narrowed his crimson eyes at him. "And?"_

"_If you manage to stay as her boyfriend for a month, I'll do anything you want me to," he said. Natsume smirked and Ken felt a cold shiver ran down his spine._

"_Fine. Get ready to lose, Ken."_

Oh, how he regretted the decision he made that time.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"You got something on your cheek," Kurama said. Before Botan could say anything, he darted his tongue out and licked the crumb off her cheek. She blushed and pushed him away. "I-Idiot! Don't do that!" she yelled at him. He pouted. "You're my girlfriend, Botan. It's okay," he said, chuckling as her blush deepened.

She scowled. "I know that, but…it's embarrassing, you know," she mumbled. He threw his head back and laughed. He tapped on her nose. His laugh got louder as her blush deepened.

The door opened, though most of the students were too busy with their own business to notice. Natsume stepped into the classroom. Botan's face brightened up as she saw him. She stood up from her chair and waved at him. "Natsume!" she called in excitement.

The raven-haired teen smiled at her and walked to where they were sitting, his eyes locked with Kurama's as he turned his head to the redhead. He looked away and looked at Botan. "Morning, idiot," he greeted, a grin on his lips. She pouted at him. He laughed.

"I like it when you laugh, Natsume," she said softly, causing his laugh to subside and him to stare at her in shock. Botan, as if suddenly realizing what she just said, blushed in embarrassment.

"But even if you do, you're not mine…" he mumbled, his voice so low that most people wouldn't hear him. But Kurama did.

"Eh? Did you say something, Natsume?" Botan asked, blinking at him. He flicked her forehead, much to her annoyance. Before she could yell at him, he sat down to his chair and looked outside the window. Her eyes softened, as if knowing her friend didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment.

She looked down to her lunchbox. '_It's really hard to talk to Natsume these days…_' she thought as she glanced at him for the last time before turning her head to her friends.

Kurama stared at Natsume. Natsume noticed. He turned his head to the redhead. Their eyes locked and Kurama could've sworn he saw emotions in the crimson eyes. But he didn't know what it was. Natsume looked away.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Hey, Natsume," Kurama called. "Don't call me by my given name," the raven-haired snapped at him. The redhead just smirked at him, seemingly unfazed by the glare he was sending.

"I can call you anything I want. Natsume-san, Natsume-kun, Natsume-_chan_," he mocked, his smirk widening slightly when Natsume's glare intensified. He shook his head. "Can we talk in private?" he asked, though it mostly sounded like an order. The raven-haired male narrowed his eyes at him before nodding his head slowly.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Natsume closed the door behind him and turned to the redhead beside him. "Okay, spit it out. What do you want to talk about?" he asked coldly, crossing his arms.

"Botan."

Natsume's breath hitched a little as he stared at the redhead with wide eyes. He collected himself, his mask slipping back on. Kurama opened his mouth to speak. But before he could say anything, the raven-haired male spoke.

"I'm jealous."

Kurama arched an eyebrow at him. "Jealous? Jealous of who?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer. "You," Natsume replied, his eyes bore into Kurama's. The redhead smiled at him. "Really? Because I'm jealous of you, Natsume."

Natsume frowned at him. "Why? You have the only thing that I ever wanted."

Kurama's smile widened slightly. "You're a real friend, you know that? You're always with her. Sure, I'm her boyfriend; I kiss her, I hug her. But there was only one thing I don't have," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "How can you easily make her laugh? Why are you so close to her? When I look at you guys, I see a couple. But then I will always think, "No, you don't look like a couple." You guys are closer than a couple. Akiko once told me, "_Natsume and Botan are close. But not close as a couple. They're closer. Closer than friends. Well, I guess you could say, they're like a brother and sister._" At first, I didn't get what she meant. But after spending more time with you, I finally get it," he smiled at the raven-haired. "Natsume, I envy you."

Silence crept between them. A calm, comfortable silence. Kurama opened his mouth to say something but stopped mid-sentence when Natsume spoke.

"Thank you, Minamino."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Natsume looked down to the ground, his bag over his shoulder as he walked. The conversation he had with Kurama repeated itself in his head like a broken lullaby. He smiled at the memory. He never thought he was able to smile at the thought of Kurama. He stopped his footsteps and his crimson eyes widened when he saw the person waiting for him.

Botan smiled at him and waved. "Hey, Natsume!" she called for him. He walked towards her, staring at her in shock and bewilderment. "Why are you here?" he asked her. She pouted. "I just want to walk home with my best friend. Is that a sin?" she said indignantly. He smiled. Then a thought occurred him. "Why aren't you with Kurama?" he asked. Then he paused. Did he just called Minamino, "Kurama"? He shook his head. He must be going crazy.

She smiled at him. "I told him to go home first. I want to spend some quality time with you today," she said the last statement in excitement. He sweatdropped before he threw his head back and laughed. She pouted. "What's so funny?" she asked suspiciously. His laugh subsided and he flicked her forehead. "Nothing~!" he said cheerfully.

She scowled at him. He chuckled. "Let's go to the arcade," he said. She smiled. "Yep!" she said in excitement. She took his hand in hers and started to drag him to the arcade. Natsume almost stumbled, startled.

She turned her head to him and grinned toothily.

He smiled. "Botan, I'm glad I met you."

She stared at him for a while before a smile graced her pink lips. "I'm glad I met you too."

_My… precious… Natsume. _

**_Wow... Anyways, hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please leave a review! Until then, adieu~_**


	2. Chapter 2

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

**Chapter 2**

The door squeaked ominously when he pushed it open. Ever since he transferred to Naminori High, he had moved into an apartment with his sister. He had come back from the arcade to an eerily silent apartment. Crimson orbs narrowed dangerously as they scanned the apartment over. He stepped cautiously into the dining room, calling out softly for his sister. From the dining room he checked the kitchen, his feeling of unease mounting; he walked faster to the bathroom, nothing, and finally, to the bedroom—

His sister lay face-down on the floor, a puddle of blood beneath her. His eyes widened. He ran towards her. "Yukino. Yukino, are you okay?" he asked, almost shouting. Yukino opened her eyes slowly. "Natsume...?" she called out softly, unable to focus on his face.

"Yeah, it's me," he paused. "Did something happen?" he asked hesitantly.

She looked away, almost guiltily. "_They _came," she said. His body stiffened, "What did _they _want?" he asked. "_They_ wanted to see you but I knew you would be in danger if I told _them_ where you were so I said I didn't know," she said. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off, "I'm going to die of blood loss." His brows furrowed. "You're not gonna die. I'm gonna take you to the hospital," he said, angry that his sister would even say such a thing.

She just smiled. "Natsume..." that was the only thing she said before she fainted.

He shook her form frantically. "Yukino?! YUKINO! Hang in there!"

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Natsume?" a soft voice called out.

He turned his head to the owner of the voice, Botan. She smiled at him. He smiled back. She patted his back. "She'll be fine. It's going to be alright," she tried to comfort him. He nodded his head numbly.

"Natsume," Kurama called out. He diverted his attention to the redhead. Kurama pointed his thumb at his sister's room, as if indicating she wanted to see him. Natsume nodded his head, seemingly understand what he meant. He walked towards Yukino's room and hesitated for a moment before he reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked. She smiled and nodded her head. He walked towards her bed and sat down on the chair beside it. "Who is that hot redhead just now?" she asked. He stared at her incredulously and slapped his forehead. He sighed exasperatedly. "That's Minamino. He is Botan's boyfriend," he replied.

She pouted. "Too bad."

He glowered at her, not amused even a bit. She laughed. "Just kidding," she said. Before he could say anything, she cut him off, "So how's Botan?" He diverted his attention to the window. "She's been happier these days. I think it's because of Minamino," he said.

She hummed in response, her eyes fixed on his face. "And you're not jealous?" she asked. He stared at her for a while before nodding his head. "Yeah, a little," he lied. Oh yes, he was jealous. But it wasn't _a little_. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure," she said. He looked at her. Did he detect a slight sarcasm?

"How's Akiko and the others?" she asked. "They're fine. Although Akiko seems to get on my nerves more than usual these days," he replied, a slight irritation in his voice. She laughed. He glared at her. He let out a fake, annoyed laugh. "Ha ha, very funny," he said sarcastically.

"Anyway, shouldn't you be resting?" he suggested. She pouted. "I don't want to," she said stubbornly. He sighed. "You should rest," he insisted.

"No. I'm fine," she said. He stood up from the chair. "Just go to sleep already," he said sternly. "It's fine, I'm-" He didn't let her continue. "You just go to sleep!" Her eyes softened. "Natsume..."

"Never mind, just go to sleep, you idiot!" he shouted at her. Yukino stared at him in shock, taken aback by his sudden outburst. His eyes softened. "Please...just get well..." he pleaded. She smiled at him. "Alright..." He smiled at this.

He walked towards the door. "Natsume," she called out softly as Natsume touched the doorknob. He glanced over as he opened it, saw Yukino's small smile as she said softly, "Don't do anything reckless, 'kay?" He stared at her for a while before nodding his head. "Oh and one more thing," she called out. He turned his head to her. "Tell that Minamino kid I want to see him," she said. He arched an eyebrow at her but nonetheless, he nodded. He stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Botan stood up almost abruptly as she saw Natsume walking towards them. "How is she?" she asked, concerned of Yukino's well-being. He smiled at her. "She's fine," he said. She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."

He turned his head to Kurama. "She wants to see you, Kurama."

Kurama stared at him, dumbfounded. He pointed a finger at himself. "Me?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Of course. Do you know any other Kuramas here?" Kurama shook his head. Natsume sighed. "Anyway, you should get going before she starts to throw a tantrum," he said. The redhead nodded numbly, still in shock.

He stood up from the chair and walked towards Yukino's room. As he walked, he wondered why she wanted to see him. He shrugged his shoulders. _Oh well. _

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Kurama knocked on the door. "Come in!" a female voice shouted from the inside. He opened the door and saw the girl on the bed. She smiled at him. "So you're Minamino-kun, right?" she asked. He nodded his head. "Yes," he bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you," he said.

She extended her hand to the chair beside the bed, gesturing him to sit down. He obliged, and sat down. "Um... Yukino-san, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly did you want to see me?" he asked, his emerald eyes bore into hers.

She smiled. "Natsume."

He arched an eyebrow at her, seemingly interested in what she was going to say. "Can you...promise me one thing?" she asked. He paused for a moment before nodding his head as a yes. "Please take care of my brother," she said. His brows furrowed. "I think you should ask Botan to do that," he said, staring at her in confusion.

She shook her head. "I don't think Natsume wants her to know about this," she said softly, looking down at her hands. He arched an eyebrow quizzically at her. "What do you mean?" he asked, curious as ever. She sighed heavily. "You see, our family was indebted with a group of assassins..." she paused, waiting for him to say something and when he didn't, she continued, "...but we didn't have enough money to pay our debts. They wanted Natsume to join them and if he does, consider the debts paid..." she trailed off.

He nodded his head. "And you didn't want him to do so, right?" he guessed. She nodded her head as a yes.

"Natsume was only 3 years old at the time. I doubted he understood anything. They took his twin, Hayate. Seven years passed and we found out Hayate became their group leader," she said. He arched an eyebrow at her. "He has a twin?" he asked. She nodded her head. "Yes," she replied.

He opened his mouth to ask further questions but before he could say anything, she spoke, "It is highly possible they'll use Botan to get him to join them," she said. Emerald orbs narrowed dangerously at her statement. "And knowing Natsume, he would do anything to save her when she is in danger. He is always reckless. His stupid actions always causes him to be terribly injured," she continued. "If he does anything stupid this time, I'm afraid it'll cost him his life," she finished.

Silence crept between them. Yukino stared at her hands. "Yukino-san," Kurama called out softly. She glanced over, and saw Kurama's small smile as he sincerely said, "I'll protect them. Promise."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Minamino-kun..."

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Natsume ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. Botan and the others had head back to their respective homes. He walked along the side-road, thinking of what had happened that day.

"Natsume," a familiar voice called but he couldn't seem to figure out who. Before he could turn around to see who it was, he felt a sharp pain on his head. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Crimson eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurry. He blinked a few times. Natsume rubbed his head. "Ow... What was that?"

"Natsume," a familiar voice called out. His eyes widened. He looked up, and saw crimson eyes glowering at him. "Ha-Hayate..." he said in disbelief. He couldn't believe his eyes. Was that really Hayate? Hayate smirked and grabbed him by the collar. "Yo, bro. Did ya miss me?" he said mockingly.

"Hayate, where have you been?" he asked. Hayate's smirk felled and he dropped the other male to the ground. "Mind your own business," he said coldly. Natsume was about to say something when he saw her.

Botan.

Her screams were muffled by a cloth, her eyes were blindfolded with a red scarf and her arms and legs were tied with a rope. He glowered at Hayate. "What did you do?" he asked. Hayate chuckled evilly. "She was rather feisty," he said and walked towards Botan. Natsume stood up to stop him from doing anything to her but two guys grabbed him. He growled. Hayate threw his head back and laughed. "Relax. I'm not going to do anything to her, yet."

Natsume gritted his teeth as his twin grabbed Botan by the hair. "Hey, woman. Are ya listening? Natsume's here," he said mockingly. The muffled screams stopped and she turned her head to him -or rather, where she thought he was- He chuckled and slammed her head to the wall. Botan's pained scream was muffled. Natsume clenched his fists and glared at his brother.

Hayate whistled. "Ooh~I'm scared~" he said mockingly. He chuckled evilly and walked towards Natsume. "I'm goin' to let ya choose, bro. If ya join us, we'll let her go. And if ya do join us, we'll have to get rid of your family and friends. But if ya don't join us, Botan goes bye-bye," he said, pulling out a knife and slashed Botan's arm, as if to prove his point. A muffled scream was heard from Botan.

Natsume clenched his fist. "Hayate..." he said warningly. Hayate ignored him and asked, "Got it?" Natsume nodded his head as a yes. Hayate smirked. "Good."

The two guys who were grabbing him, let go of him and pushed him to Hayate. He glowered at his twin. Hayate smirked. "We're goin' to send you back home but Botan stays here," he said. Natsume growled at him. "What?!" he demanded. Hayate narrowed his eyes dangerously at him. "She stays here. If ya try to help her escape, I'm goin' to kill her," he said threateningly. Natsume's eyes widened at those words. "And one more thing, don't tell anyone about this, 'kay? Ya wouldn't want anyone to die, right, bro?" he said mockingly. "Even that Minamino guy," he added. Natsume's eyes widened. "How did you know?" he asked.

Hayate just smirk at him. Before he could say anything, he felt a sharp pain on his head. His vision became blurry. The last thing he saw was Botan, tears streaming down her cheeks.

**I hope you all enjoyed reading chapter 2. Please leave a review! Until then, adieu~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its characters.**

**Chapter 3**

Natsume jerked out of the bed. He looked around and realized he was in his room. He stared at the ceiling, trying to remember what happened. His sister was stabbed and sent to the hospital. He finally saw Hayate, who disappeared with the group of assassins for thirteen years. And he also had to make a choice; to join or not to join the group of assassins, Black.

He rubbed his temple and sighed heavily. _What am I gonna do now? _he asked, desperately trying to search for an answer but failed. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He punched the wall, so hard that his hand was bleeding. "D-Damn..."

* * *

Kurama looked around the classroom, noting that Botan wasn't there. His brows furrowed. "Where's Botan?" he asked Akiko who was leaning against the wall beside him. She shook her head.

His frown deepened. "What happened?"

"I tried to call Botan yesterday to talk to her, since I was bored, but she didn't pick up. Instead Akito did. He told me Botan hasn't return home," she explained, a worried look on her face.

"I'm really worried..." Hanon, who was standing beside Akiko, mumbled.

Kurama's expression was calm. He was worried, too, but he wasn't the type to show his feelings too much. He looked around for Natsume. "Where's Natsume?" he asked.

Akiko was about to open her mouth to answer when a voice said, "I'm right here. What do you want?"

They turned their heads to Natsume, who wore a rather... paled expression? "What's up with ya today?" Akiko asked. He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just a little sleepy..." he lied.

The girls nodded their heads, but Kurama narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him. "Really?" he asked calmly. The raven-haired teen nodded his head.

"Would you happen to know where Botan is?" Kurama asked. He narrowed his eyes when he saw Natsume stiffened. "I don't," he lied, looking away. He knew if his eyes locked with Kurama's, he would blurted out the whole thing. He didn't want that. He didn't want to get any of his friends to get hurt.

"I see," Kurama said calmly, his eyes fixed on his form. He noted the way Natsume trembled slightly, and the way his expression would become worried. _What is he hiding? _

Kurama opened his mouth to say something but before a word could come out, Natsume walked past him.

"What's up with him?" Akiko asked. Hanon just shrugged her shoulders and watched as Kurama's eyes followed Natsume's every movement. _Kurama must've noticed something weird with Natsume..._

* * *

Kurama glanced over at Natsume who was looking outside the window. He had a far away look in his crimson eyes and his mouth was slightly agape. The redhead scribbled something on a piece of paper. Once he was done, he made a paper plane and it flew to Natsume. The paper plane hit him on his head.

Natsume glowered at the paper plane. _What the hell? _He glanced at Kurama, who was observing him. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the paper plane. He opened it slowly.

_Is there something you're hiding, Natsume?_

_I think it has something to do with Botan. _

_Doesn't it?_

_Minamino._

Natsume gripped the paper, causing a crease to appear. He scribbled something and threw the paper to Kurama. It hit him right on his face. "H-Hey!" he whispered. Since Natsume was only three desks away from him, he could hear him. Natsume snickered.

He sighed and diverted his attention to the paper.

_It's none of your_ business.

His eye twitched. He scribbled something on it and threw it to Natsume, ignoring the student who was looking back and forth at him and Natsume. The paper hit him right in the eye. He rubbed his eye and glared at Kurama, who snickered at him. He stopped glaring when Kurama's expression suddenly turned serious. He looked at the paper.

_Look, you're not the only one who cares about her. _

_I love her, too, you idiot._

_Now tell me, just what is it that you're hiding from me?_

His hand trembled. He couldn't tell him. An image of Kurama, on the floor, a puddle of blood forming beneath him appeared in his mind. He shook his head. Botan would be devastated if Kurama died. But there was something else... His heart was pounding and his hands were sweating. Then it struck him. Did he...cared for Kurama? Was he beginning to consider the redhead as a friend? He shook his head furiously. _No, that can't be! I refuse to accept that! _his mind screamed.

He wrote, his fingers trembling. He threw the paper at Kurama. It felled to the ground beside Kurama's leg. The redhead picked it up and began to read it.

_I can't tell you, Kurama..._

He frowned and glanced at Natsume, who diverted his attention back to the window. He noted the way his hands trembled. "Natsume, what are you hiding?" he mumbled.

* * *

Botan glared at the boy in front of her. Hayate smirked at her. He bent down until they were eye-leveled. "I wonder if he would join us..." he wondered aloud.

"He'll never join the likes of you!" she snapped at him.

He blinked at him before throwing his head back and laughed. "Oh God... Ya are a funny one, missy," he said between laughs. His laugh subsided and the smirk on his face widened. ""The likes of you", eh?"

She gritted her teeth. "Don't you care about them?" she asked. He blinked at her, confused at who she was referring to.

"If I remember correctly, you said, "We'll have to get rid of you family", don't you care about them?" she asked again. His expression darkened. Botan stiffened, noticing how the atmosphere suddenly became tense and she silently wished she hadn't opened her mouth.

She gulped down a lump as she waited for him to reply. He narrowed his eyes dangerously and she noted the angered look in them. "It's their fault..." he mumbled.

She blinked at him. "Eh?"

"They let them take me! All this years, I've been abused! All this years, I've been forced to do dirty work! I've never wanted to kill people! It's all their fault! I hate them! I want them dead!" he yelled angrily.

Silence crept between them. Only the sound of Hayate panting could be hear.

Her eyes softened. She knew she shouldn't feel like this, especially to someone who was probably going to kill her friends or her. But she felt **pity** for him. She **pitied** him. "Um... Hayate-san..." she trailed off after realizing she didn't really knew what to say.

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "How did ya know my name?" he asked.

She looked down to the ground. "Uh... Natsume told me," she replied.

This caught his attention, as he looked at her curiously.

"I don't think any of your family let them took you. I think they tried really hard to stop them," she started. He waited for her continue. "Natsume always become serious whenever he talks about you. He really cares about you," she finished.

His eyes widened. What? No that couldn't be. He gritted his teeth. "Liar!" he yelled at her. She cringed.

"Hayate-san..."

"There's no way he cares about me..."

She looked down to the ground and gulped down a lump. "I don't care if you don't believe me. But can I tell you something?" she asked seriously.

"What?!" he snapped at her. He shook his head. No, this wasn't right. He was letting his anger took control. He took a few deep, calming breaths. Botan waited for him to calm down. After he calmed down, she decided to spoke.

"Five years ago, I heard Natsume crying in his room. He said, "I want to see you, Hayate. Please come back," she said seriously.

His eyes widened. Silence crept between the two. A guy with blonde hair and brown eyes opened the door. "Hayate, the boss wants to see you," he said.

She turned her head to Hayate, who cringed and noted the way he trembled.

"Hurry. You don't want _that _to happen again, right?" the blonde-haired guy asked.

At those words, he hurriedly walked out of the room. "I got it, Mouri," those were the last words he said before he left.

After Mouri was sure Hayate was gone, he spoke, "Was those things you said the truth?" he asked. She smiled. "Yeah," she said. He smiled and turned around. Then his smile felled. "But I doubt Hayate believes it," he said. He closed the door.

She stared at the door. "Hayate..."

She sighed heavily. "If only you knew..."

**Okay, I hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Please leave a review! Until then, adieu~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, folks! Wendy McCalister here with chapter 4 of "Love and Friendship"! I'm writing this in my class right now. (Because I was bored ^_^)**

**Teacher: Mrs. Wendy, (not my real name) what are you doing? *asks with an angry voice***

**Me: *immediately hides cellphone* (by the way, I'm writing this on my cellphone) Uh… Nothing!**

**Teacher: *narrows his eyes suspiciously* Right… (Goes back to teaching)**

**Me: *let out a sigh of relief* Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy chapter 3. Oh shit, writing on a cellphone is really hard…**

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

_Botan yawned. She stretched her arms. "Oh man, I'm thirsty…" _

_She was having a sleepover with her friends at Natsume's house. She glanced at the clock. 4:35 p.m. She sighed and got out of her sleeping bag. She closed the door quietly as not to wake any of her friends up. _

_She headed towards the kitchen. She stopped her steps when she heard the sound of someone crying in Natsume's room. She tiptoed and opened the door slightly. She peaked inside._

_Natsume was sitting on his bed, his back facing her. She shrugged her shoulders. _I'm hearing things _she thought. She was about to close the door when she heard the crying again. She looked at Natsume._

_His shoulders were shaking._

_"I want to see you, Hayate. Please come back," he said between sobs. _

_Her eyes softened. "Oh, Natsume…"_

* * *

_"Natsume…" Botan called out._

_He hummed in response, not taking his eyes off the manga he was reading._

_"What kind of person is Hayate?" she asked. _

_He stiffened at her question. He stared at her with wide eyes, taken aback by the sudden question. "Why do you ask?" he asked._

_She shook her head. "I know you have a twin named Hayate, but I never knew what kind of person he is," she said. "I'm just curious," she added._

_He stared at her for a while before letting out a sigh. "… Fine. I'll tell you," he said._

_Her lips curved into a bright smile. "Well?" she asked in excitement. He stared at her, confused to why she was so excited to know. _

_Then he smiled. "Hayate… well, he's easily angered and always degrading people. But he is really a gentle person, who will shed tears. He also has a gluttonous appetite that could frighten anyone," he said seriously. _

_Her smile widened. "You really like Hayate, don't you?"_

_"Huh?"_

_"You get really serious when you talk about him! You really like him!" she said, a smile on her face. He blushed._

_"S-Shut up, you idiot!" he stuttered._

_She laughed and poked him. "Embarrassed?" _

_He swatted her hand away. "You… are such an idiot," he said. She just smiled and hugged him. The blush on Natsume's face deepened. "H-Hey!" he yelled, trying to pry her off of him._

_She giggled and let go of him. He glowered at her before diverting his attention back to the manga._

_"Natsume…"_

_He sighed. "What?"_

_She smiled. "I want to meet Hayate someday," she said._

_He looked at her and smiled._

* * *

Botan's eyes snapped open. She looked around before letting out a sigh. She looked at the windows. The warehouse was dark so she couldn't tell whether it was morning. _How long have I been locked here? _She wondered.

Her stomach grumbled. She blushed. She sighed heavily. "I'm so hungry…"

DANG!

Botan almost jumped when the door suddenly opened. She turned to see who it was and was surprised to see Hayate, a tray of food in his hands.

"Yo, are ya hungry?" he asked.

She didn't give him a response. She was too busy eyeing the food on the tray. He blinked at her before chuckling. "Sorry. Ya must be really hungry," he said, walking towards her and putting the tray in front of her.

Without another thought, she peeled off an orange and ate it.

He watched in amazement as she ate three oranges, five apples and six bananas. Was she really that hungry? Botan, on the other hand, didn't even realize she was this hungry.

She paused before turning her head to him and giggled sheepishly. "Uh…you didn't want any of that, did you?" she asked nervously. She definitely didn't want to anger him.

He shook her head.

She smiled and continued eating. "How long have I been here?" she asked. He brought a finger to his chin and thought for a while.

"Five days, I guess," he replied.

She gawked. "Five days?!" she yelled in shock. He nodded his head. She sighed. No wonder she was so hungry.

His gaze roamed up and down her body. She was beautiful. Long legs, narrow waist, and supple breasts. Her hair also looked so silky that he almost wanted to run his fingers through them. But the most captivating thing about her was her amethyst eyes. No wonder his brother liked this girl so much.

He snapped out of his thoughts when she spoke.

"Uh…can I take a shower?" she asked nervously. Silence crept between them.

"What?" he asked. Did he hear right? She looked away, a blush on her cheeks. "I haven't shower for days… I really stink," she said, the blush on her face deepening.

He sniffed and realized she was right. A frown marred his handsome features. "Oh, okay," he agreed.

She smiled.

"Hey, Mouri!" he called for the blonde.

Her smile felled. "What are calling him for?" she asked.

"I don't want you to escape," he said. She paled. Those words were enough to tell her what he meant.

"B-But—I don't want him to see me naked!" she yelled incredulously.

A delicate eyebrow arched at the statement. "He's just going to stand outside the door," he said. She stared at him for a while. Blood rushed to her cheeks. "O-Oh…"

He shook his head and sighed, turning his head to Mouri, who nodded. The blonde walked towards the girl and pulled her by the forearm, dragging her towards the bathroom.

* * *

"Hey! Let go of me! My arm is gonna come off!" she yelled.

He let go of her arm. She glared at him. "Geez…" she mumbled.

She stopped glaring once she realized she was outside. She inhaled the fresh air. "Ah… It's been a while since I was outside…"

"Hey," Mouri called, a little irritated that she was ignoring him.

She turned her head to him and smiled. He gave her a strange look. _Is this girl an idiot?_

He shook his head and began to walk towards a house. She followed him. Once they were inside, she looked around in awe. The house was really clean.

"Hey, woman," he called. She looked at him and hummed in response.

"The bathroom's upstairs—" She didn't let him continue. At the word 'bathroom', she immediately ran upstairs, leaving a sweatdropping Mouri.

* * *

Botan sighed contently, enjoying the warm water. "This feels so great…"

"I brought you some spare clothes," she heard Mouri said through the door. She smiled. "Thanks, Mouri," she thanked him.

"Tch. Whatever," he said.

She saw his shoulder leaned against the door. "Mouri-san…" she called.

"What?" he asked harshly.

"You really care about Hayate, don't you?" she asked, although it mostly sounded like a statement.

Outside, Mouri blushed. "H-Huh? What on earth are you talking about?" he asked, trying to sound as calm as possible and mentally cursed when he stuttered.

Inside, Botan smiled. "Well, I've noticed that you're always with him. You guys are friends, aren't you?" she asked.

"Mind your own business," he said harshly.

Silence crept between them. Only the sound of running water could be heard.

"Hey, do you have a reason for not smiling?" she asked, ignoring what he said.

Outside, Mouri looked down to the ground. "I…won't smile. Because Hayate won't smile. When he's hurting, I don't want to be the only one of us who feels good," he said.

* * *

_"Hayate, are you okay?" Mouri asked._

_Hayate turned his head to him. "Nothing, don't worry," he lied. But the blonde didn't believe him. He leaned against the wall beside him._

_"Are you…sad?" he asked._

_Hayate shook his head._

_"Liar."_

_Hayate looked at him. He smiled and took his hand in his. "Your pain is my pain, Hayate…"_

* * *

"Hayate's pain is my pain."

Inside, the smile on Botan's face widened slightly. "I see."

* * *

"Hayate," a guy with brown hair and purple eyes called.

The said person turned his head to him. "What?"

"Natsume's here."

Hayate smirked. "It seems it took him earlier than I thought to choose," he said. He stood up. "Well, whatever," he said, walking towards the door and closing it once he was outside.

"Yo, bro, how have ya been?" he asked, a grin on his face.

Natsume glared at him. "Shut up. Where's Botan?" he asked. Hayate whistled. "Looking for your girl so soon, bro?" he said mockingly.

Natsume's glare intensified. Hayate smirked, seemingly unfazed by the glare. "So, are ya gonna join us or not?" he asked.

Natsume sighed and nodded his head. Hayate's grin widened. "But, isn't there anything I can do so that you won't kill my family?" Natsume asked, not even bothering to say "our family", knowing Hayate would get mad.

The grin on Hayate's face felled and he narrowed his eyes at him. "Anything you can do, you say?"

An uncomfortable silence crept between the two.

A smirk teased Hayate's lips. "Then, I want you to kill that lion," he said, pointing his thumb at the lion in the cage.

Natsume's eyes widened. He glared at his twin brother. He knew Hayate knew that he liked animals. He couldn't. He couldn't do it.

"Remember, if you don't kill it, we'll have to kill your family," Hayate reminded him. At those words, he gulped down a lump. Hayate snapped his fingers and a guy gave him a sword. Hayate smirked and gave the sword to Natsume, who reluctantly accept it.

Hayate opened the cage. "Go ahead, bro," he said invitingly.

Natsume walked into the cage. His hands trembling at his sides. He looked at it guiltily. "I'm sorry," he said before stabbing the lion. It screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground.

Hayate laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Welcome to the group, Natsu," he said between laughs.

Natsume threw a disgusted look at him.

* * *

"Natsume!"

Botan stood up abruptly, a bright smile on her face when she saw Natsume. Her smile felled when she saw the blood on his clothes.

"Natsume…?"

He looked down to the ground, as if ashamed of himself. Hayate chuckled and turned his head to Mouri, who was leaning against the wall.

"Let her go," he said. Mouri nodded his head and turned his head to Botan. "You can go back home," he said.

She didn't seem to hear him, as she didn't move from her spot at all. Her eyes fixed on Natsume. "Natsume, are you going back, too?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Go," he ordered. She frowned. "But, what about you?" she asked.

No response.

"Answer me, Natsume."

Natsume gritted his teeth and looked away. Her frown deepened. "Natsume…"

Hayate laughed. "Hey, he's a member of our group now," he stated. Her eyes widened. "Natsume, why…?"

He clenched his fists, "If you understand, go. Just go, Fukuyama," he said coldly.

She looked down to the ground, her bangs covering her eyes. She turned around and began to walk out from the house, tears rolling down her face uncontrollably.

Once Hayate was sure she was gone, he turned his head to his twin. "I already have your first mission," he said.

Natsume looked at him.

* * *

Botan opened the door and was surprised when her brother suddenly enveloped her into a hug. "A-Akito?"

He let go of her and decked her on the head. "Ow! What was that for?!" she complained.

"Where were you?! You've been gone for six days, you idiot!" he yelled at her. Her eyes softened and she looked down to the ground.

"Well, you see…" she started. And so, she explained what happened.

"Natsume join them?!" he yelled. She nodded her head. He stared at her for a while before letting out a sigh.

"Akito…" she called out.

He looked at her.

"Don't tell anyone about this," she said seriously. He hesitated for a moment before nodding his head.

* * *

Kurama closed the bathroom door, clad in nothing but a towel. He sighed. He looked at his cellphone when he heard it rang. He picked it up and was surprised to see Botan's number on the screen. He answered.

"Idiot, where were you?!" he yelled.

He could tell that Botan was surprised at his sudden outburst as he heard something break but he wasn't sure what.

"_Uh…well, um… I was at my cousin's house_," she lied. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at this. "Oh? So why didn't you reply to any of my messages?" he asked.

"_Uh…I left my phone by accident_," she lied. His eyes twitched. "Then why didn't you just call Akito using your cousin's phone and tell him to give it to you?" he asked.

"_Um… well, you see…_" she said nervously. He sighed and decided that he shouldn't ask anything else. "Never mind. What matters is that you're okay," he said.

"_Anyway, can you come over to my house?_" she asked. He arched an eyebrow at this. "What are you planning to do?" he asked seductively, a perverted snicker on his face.

"_I-Idiot! I'm not planning to do anything of the sort you pervert! I-I'm just a little scared to be alone now…_" she stuttered. He laughed heartily. "…Okay, fine. Wait for me," he said.

"_I love you_," she said. He smiled. "Love you too," he said before he hung up.

* * *

**Me: Phew… Finally, it's done…**

**A student that was seating behind me: You have an account on fanfiction net?**

**Me: Uh…yeah. **

**The same student: *nods his head* What do you usually write?**

**Me: Hmm… Well, let's see… I usually write romance stories.**

**The same student: Any rated M ones?**

**Me: *beginning to suspect he's a pervert* Uh…yeah. Three of them, I guess. But one of them is a horror story.**

**The same student: *nods his head* And what about the other two? Do they contain sex scenes? **

**Me: *now sure he's a pervert* Uh… I guess. *laughs nervously* Um, if you don't mind me asking, do you like reading those kind of stories? **

**The same student: *lips curved into a perverted snicker* Nah, I like the real things better.**

**Me: *knows what he means* I-I see… *thinks: I'm beginning to get uncomfortable with this guy…***

**The same student: Hey—**

**Me: *doesn't let him continue* Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading chapter 4. Please leave a review! Until then, adieu~**

**Teacher: *slams the table***

**Me: *surprised* **

**Teacher: Texting in class, eh? *asks with an irritated voice***

**Me: I'm not texting!**

**Teacher: *ignores me and gives me a detention slip* Detention! *goes back to teaching***

**Me: Oh man, I hate detention… *grumbles* Anyway, I'll really appreciate it if you review! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho**

**Chapter 5**

Natsume stared at the scene with an unreadable expression. The body laid face-down on the floor - or, at least his head did. On the bed laid a headless body, oozing blood over the sheets.

The door opened, but he did not turn around. Hayate stepped inside the room, looking around the room, as if searching for something. His gaze dropped to the head on the floor. A smirk teased his lips. "Good job, bro," he said, walking towards Natsume.

The said person threw a disgusted look at him. "Tch. Whatever," he said nonchalantly. Hayate wrapped an arm around his shoulder. Natsume's eyes narrowed dangerously and he pushed the other male harshly.

Hayate's smirk widened slightly. "Do ya hate me now, bro?" he asked innocently, cocking his head to the side.

Natsume walked towards the window, opening it before turning around to look at his brother. Silence crept between the two. He looked away and jumped out of the window.

Hayate let out a heavy sigh.

* * *

Botan broke off the kiss. Kurama looked at her, his expression confused. "What's wrong, Botan?" he asked. She didn't look at him, instead her eyes were on the TV. He blinked and looked at the TV.

"_We have just found the dead body of the principal of this school. There are no clues found._"

Kurama's brows furrowed. "No clues were found? That's strange..." he muttered to himself. "Natsume," he heard Botan said. He turned his head to look at her. "What?" he asked.

"He's back," she said mysteriously. He arched an eyebrow at her. She pushed him off of her gently and stood up from the sofa. "Where are you going?" he asked her. She walked towards the door. "I'm going to Natsume's apartment," she replied.

Another eyebrow arched at the reply. "Oh? What for?" he asked.

She didn't gave a response. Instead she smiled and said, "Why don't you go back home? I think Ran is worried about you since you didn't tell her that you were going to my house."

Before he could say anything, she opened the door, closing it behind her.

Silence.

He stared at the door, reeling. He shook his head and looked away. He stood up from the sofa and took his jacket, putting it on. He sighed heavily and glanced at the clock.

10:30 p.m.

* * *

Natsume opened the door and was surprised to see Botan sitting on his bed. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

She just smiled at him. "Welcome back, Natsu," she said, her voice soft and gentle, but the underlying anger in her voice was evident.

His eyes softened. "Botan..." he said, looking down to the ground. "Are you angry?" he asked.

No response.

"Botan..."

"I watched the news," she said. Those words made him stiffened. So she knew...

"Did you kill him?" she asked.

Natsume let out a sigh and walked towards her. He grabbed her shoulders and pushed her down to the bed. His hands were on either side of her head. "Yeah," he replied. Her smile felled. "I see," was the only words she said as she stared at him with an unreadable expression.

Silence crept between them.

She cupped his cheek, stroking it with her finger. He nuzzled his nose against her palm. She smiled. "I'm glad you're not hurt," she said sincerely. He moved his face closer to hers. "You worry too much," he whispered and rested his forehead against hers.

"You should stay away from me," he warned. Her smile widened slightly. She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. Her fingers gripped the white shirt he was wearing. She didn't seem to care the blood on his clothes as she hugged him tighter.

"Natsu..." she whispered, heaving a sigh. "I want to be by your side," she said softly.

His eyes widened. "Botan," he started. He gritted his teeth. "You can't. I don't deserve to have you by my side," he said sternly. Her smile widened. "I don't care," she said nonchalantly.

"No matter how many people you kill, no matter how dangerous you become, I'll always be by your side," she said sincerely, gripping his shirt tighter. His eyes softened. "You're stubborn," he muttered, a smile on his face.

She laughed heartily. He stared at her for a while before laughing also.

They would still be the best of friends.

* * *

"Good morning, Natsume," Mio said politely, bowing. Natsume nodded his head. Hanon smiled brightly at him. "Gooood morrrninng~!" she said cheerfully, her voice loud. He sighed. "Good morning, Hanon," he replied.

He turned his head to Shiko, who was reading a book. "Hey, Shiko," he said coolly. She shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, whatever..." she said absent-mindedly.

"Yo, Natsu," Akito greeted, slapping Natsume on the back. The said person glared at her. "Oh it's you," he said coolly.

She pouted. "Is that a way to greet your friend?" she scolded. He just rolled his eyes. The brown-haired teen crossed her arms. Botan, who was standing behind them, giggled. The girls turned around, a surprised look on their faces.

"Botan! Where have ya been, babe?!" Akiko asked loudly, gaining other people's attention. Natsume nudged her by the elbow. "Hey, people are watching," he whispered.

"Oh," she whispered back. Then she turned her head to the azure-haired teen. "Anyway, where were ya?" she asked again. Botan smiled and shook her head. "I was at my cousin's house," she lied.

The girls narrowed their eyes suspiciously. "I see..." they said slowly.

Botan was about to say something when her eyes spotted a familiar redhead. Her lips curved into a bright smile. "Kurama!" she called, waving her hand. He turned around and saw Botan waving her hand at him. He smiled and winked at her. She stopped waving, a blush on her face.

He chuckled and walked towards them. "Good morning, girlfriend," he said sweetly. Her blush deepened. "G-Good morning..." she said shyly. Arrghh, what is wrong with her!

He laughed heartily. The girls joined him. His laughter subsided when he saw Natsume. He smiled at him. The raven-haired teen gave him a strange look.

"Hey, hey, don't go flirting with Natsume," Hanon joked, a grin on her face. Natsume and Kurama glared at her and let out a fake, annoyed laugh. "Ha, ha, very funny, Hanon," the redhead said, his voice irritated. Her grin widened.

Shiko shook her head. "Can't you guys be quiet? I'm trying to read here," she said, getting irritated. She mentally noted to choose her friends who are not noisy next time. They all but laughed heartily. Shiko grunted and glared at them.

* * *

"Hayate."

The said person turned his head and smiled. "What is it, Mouri?" he asked.

The blonde walked towards him and leaned against the wall beside him. "She's so intriguing," he said mysteriously. Hayate arched an eyebrow quizzically at him. "She? Who are you talking about?" he asked curiously, cocking his head to the side.

Mouri smirked. "Botan Fukuyama," he replied.

A smirk teased Hayate's lips. "I agree," he said, nodding his head.

A calm, comfortable silence crept between the two.

"Mouri..." Hayate called out, breaking the silence. The said person turned his head to look at him and hummed in response. The raven-haired male smiled genuinely at him. "Let's go get something to eat," he said and rubbed his stomach. "I'm starving!" he said exasperatedly.

Mouri blinked at him before he smiled and nodded his head.

* * *

Kurama looked at his cellphone when it rang. He picked it up and saw his mother's number on the screen. He smiled and answered. "Yes, mother? Yes, I'm fine. How have you been?" he asked. The others watched as he talked. He would nod his head every so often.

"Really?" he asked excitedly. "Today? Okay. I'll tell Ran. Yes. Goodbye, mother," he said before hanging up.

He turned to look at his friends. "Sorry, guys. I have to go," he said apologetically. Botan arched an eyebrow at him. "Did something happen?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "My mother and stepmother is coming over to my house today," he replied, the smile on his face widening slightly. Botan smiled. "Really?!" she asked excitedly.

He nodded his head then smiled apologetically at him. "But it's a family gathering so you can't come," he said. She smacked her lips in disappointment. "Aww... I wanna see Shiori. It's been a long time since I last saw her," she said childishly. He chuckled and stood up from the chair.

He kissed her on the forehead. "Don't worry. You'll see her again," he said and gave her a smile as reassurance. She smiled back.

"Aww~ That's so sweet!" Hanon teased. The others, except for Natsume laughed as they saw the two lovebirds blush. Natsume, on the other hand, sighed heavily. His heart quench as he saw Botan kissed Kurama. The redhead nodded his head and began to walk away.

But...

She was happy. And that was the only thing that important to him.

If Kurama makes her happy, then he's happy.

* * *

"Hey, Akito! I'm back!" Botan shouted, opening the door. Akito walked towards her and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever, sis," he said nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.

Nouyato ran towards Botan and hugged her. "Welcome home, sis!" he said cheerfully. She smiled at him.

Akito turned his head to the Natsume who was standing beside her. He grinned. "Yo, Natsume!" he said. Natsume grinned at him. "It's been a while, ol' pal!" the raven-haired said and they high-five.

Botan gave him a strange look. ""It's been a while"? Don't you guys see each other everyday?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at them. Akito stuck out his tongue. "That's true, but we didn't have the time to hang out. It's all your fault, sis," he said accusingly. She gawked at him. She raised her fist and was about to punch him when she felt a tug on her skirt. She turned her head to look at Nouyato.

"Ne, sis! I want watermelons!" Nouyato said childishly. She smiled and nodded her head. "Sure. Just wait, okay?" she said in a sisterly way. He nodded his head enthusiastically and ran towards the sofa, sitting on it and watching the TV.

Botan walked towards the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out a watermelon and began cutting it, not even noticing Natsume who was watching her with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Natsume, I've got the latest game! Wanna play?" Akito asked. Natsume grinned and nodded his head. He was about to say something when he felt something sharp stabbed his head.

His eyes widened.

"Natsume, what's wrong?" Akito asked, his expression concerned and bewildered. Natsume grabbed his head and screamed in pain. His head was throbbing in pain. It hurt. It hurt so much.

Botan ran towards him. "Natsume? What's going on?" she asked, panicking as she shook his body vigorously. He grabbed her by the shoulder. Botan gasped, startled.

He panted. His vision became blurry. "I'm getting dizzy..." he said before collapsing on the ground, unconscious.

Botan's eyes widened. "NATSUME!"

* * *

They stood upon the rooftop of an apartment complex.

Crimson orbs staring down into the house of Botan Fukuyama, observing the scene. A gust of wind roared by, tugging at the raven tresses of Hayate's hair. Mouri walked towards him.

"Hey, Hayate, why did you do that?" he asked.

Hayate smiled at him.

"I...want to see his memories. The time he have spent with that woman."

_How important is she to ya, bro?_

**I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please review! I'll really appreciate it! Oh shit, the cockroach is on my bed...  
**

**Anyways, until then, adieu~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Love and Friendship **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or any of its wonderful characters.**

**Chapter 6: Natsume's Memories**

**_1st Memory_**

_"Natsume-kun, don't be mad," his mother tried to consoled him._

_Natsume crossed him arms. "But mom! She cut my hair!" he yelled indignantly. His mother shook her head. "She didn't do it on purpose," she said._

_He pouted. He glowered at Botan, who was sitting at one corner of the room, talking to her mother. Botan seemed to notice his eyes on her as she turned her head to him. He shot her a death glare, causing her to cringe. _Oh boy... What should I do? He's really mad... _she thought._

_Natsume looked up at his mother when he felt her took his hand in hers. He opened his mouth to say something but before a word could come out, she pulled him and walked towards where Botan and her mother were._

_He frowned. "Mom, you're not going to do what I think you're going to do, right?" he asked cautiously. She grinned. He sighed and shook his head. "I thought so..." he mumbled._

_Once they were in front of them, they stopped their footsteps. His mother smiled at Botan's mother. "Hi, I'm Sakino. And you are?" she asked. The woman smiled. "I'm Yuri. It's nice to meet you, Sakino-san," she said politely._

_Natsume glowered at the ground when they started chatting about their family. He was expecting this. His mother would usually try to hook him up with some random girls, even doing so far as to befriends the girls' mothers._

_Botan was no exception._

_He sighed and shook his head. He looked at Botan who smiled sheepishly at him. He shot her another death glare, which caused her to cringe again. Sakino glanced at her son and noticed he wasn't even talking to the girl in front of him. She sighed and pushed him towards Botan. He glared at her._

I can't ask for a better son, _she thought sarcastically. _

_Sakino and Yuri watched their children, waiting for them to say something. Natsume smiled at Botan, who smiled back. But the smile soon felled when he pulled her by the hair. "Ow! I know you're mad, but you don't have to get violent!" she yelled angrily at him. _

_He shrugged his shoulders. "That was nothing compared to what you did to me," he said._

_She fumed. "I apologized, didn't I?!"_

_He rolled his eyes. She glared at him. "I probably should've shave you instead..." she mumbled. At this he glare at her. "WHAT?" he asked angrily. The two growled at each other. But before they could do anything to hurt another, Sakino grabbed her son by the shoulder. _

_"Um... Yuri-chan, I think we should go now," she said nervously. Yuri nodded her head. Sakino sighed and began to drag Natsume outside the kindergarten. _

_"I swear I'm going to make your life miserable, Fukuyama, even if it's the last thing I do!" he yelled at her._

_She stuck her tongue at him. "I wanna see you try, tough guy!" she yelled back._

_Sakino sighed exasperatedly and opened the car door. She gently pushed Natsume inside before he could say anything else._

* * *

**_2nd Memory_**

_"Hey, Ryuuga!" Botan called out for him but he ignored her and kept walking._

_She glared at his back. "I said, hey!" she called again. To her surprise, he stopped walking and turned his head to her. "What do you want?" asked an annoyed Natsume._

_"I want a re-match!" she demanded. He arched an eyebrow at her. "A re-match?" he repeated. She nodded her head._

_Natsume had come to the school dojo that day. He said some rude things to her and Botan, got angrier, challenged him into a fight. He accepted but there was one problem. She was the best student in the dojo and if she lose to some kid who wasn't a student there, she wouldn't be able to look at her sensei in the eye. But how strong could he be? There was no way he was stronger than her._

_...Well, that was what she thought. _

_Until she lost!_

_Oh, and how embarrassing it was!_

_"Hmm, let me think for a moment," he said, tapping his finger against his chin. After a second, "No," he replied bluntly._

_Botan gawked at him. "What? But-"_

_He cut her off, "You lost," he said. She pouted. "Hmph," she said indignantly, crossing her arms. After a few hours of walking in silence, he glanced at her and noticed she was still glaring at him._

_He shook his head and sighed heavily. "...Fine," he said. Her lips curved into a bright smile. "Thank you!" she thanked him and hugged him. _

_He glowered at her and tried to pry her off of him._

* * *

**_Third Memory_**

_"Natsu-chan!" she called out excitedly. _

_A vein popped at Natsume's forehead. He looked away from the manga he was reading and glared at her. "What do you want now?" he asked, irritated that he was interrupted while he was reading._

_She just smiled at him._

_He stared at her._

_Still smiling._

_Stare._

_Smile._

_Stare._

_Smile._

_"Will you just tell me what you want so I can go back to reading my manga?" he asked, a vein popping dangerously at his forehead._

_She pouted. "Is that manga really more important than your best friend?" she asked indignantly, crossing her arms. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, best friend, sure," he said sarcastically._

_She narrowed her eyes at him. "Was that sarcasm?" she asked._

_"No," he replied sarcastically, a smirk teasing his lips._

_She pointed a finger accusingly at him. "I was right! That was sarcasm!" she shouted at him.  
_

_"Whatever you say, Fukuyama," he said, shrugging his shoulders. He diverted his attention back to the manga._

_She stared at him for a while before grinning. "I don't have money right now... Um, can I borrow yours?" she asked hesitantly. He looked up from the manga to look at her and arched an eyebrow at the question. "That was what you wanted to say?" _

_She nodded her head._

_He sighed and slid his hands into his pocket. He pulled out some money and put it on the table in front of her. She smiled brightly. "Thanks, Natsume! I love you!" she shouted, hugging him._

_A delicate eyebrow arched at the statement._

_"In a sisterly way of course," she added._

_He nodded his head. _

_Silence._

_"Hey!" he shouted in realization. It seemed our Natsume didn't realize that she was hugging him. Until now. _

_He tried to pry her off of him. She giggled and instead of letting go of him, she hugged him tighter._

_After a few more moments of trying to get her to let go, he finally gave up. He sighed hopelessly. "Dummy," he said._

_At that word, she immediately let go of him. She glared at him.  
_

_"Who are you calling dummy, you idiot!"_

* * *

**_Fourth Memory_**

_"Ne, Natsume?" she called._

_He hummed in response, but didn't look at her. He waited for her to say something and when she didn't, he turned his head to look at her.  
_

_~PINCH~_

_He blinked. _

_"Whoa, they're so soft!" she exclaimed, pinching his cheeks. He stared at her with wide-eyes. What the-?_

_He mentally shook his head. _

_Composure...composure...composure..._

_He regained his composure and glared at her. "What are you doing?" he asked menacingly. She ignored him and stared in awe as she pinched his cheeks. They were so soft...  
_

_Natsume swatted her hands away. "What are you doing?" he asked again. But this time, he sounded shocked as he stared at her with wide-eyes. His cheeks were also red. She wasn't sure whether it was out of embarrassment or anger. But it was probably both.  
_

_"Uh...pinching your cheeks?" she replied hesitantly._

_"I know that! But-But why are you?" he asked, stuttering. She silently wished she brought her camera. If she did, she could've taken a photo of the look on Natsume's face right now. It was so priceless!_

_...And she could probably blackmail him using it._

_It was a shame she didn't bring it, though._

_She didn't seem to hear Natsume shouting at her. _

_"Hey, are you listening?!" he shouted into her ear. She glared at him. "Thanks," she said sarcastically. "Now I won't be able to hear anything for the rest of my life."_

_He rolled his eyes. "Tch. Whatever," he replied nonchalantly and diverted his attention back to the manga._

_~PINCH~_

_"Oh, pinching them is pretty fun!" she said childishly. _

_A vein popped dangerously at his forehead. _

_"WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?!" _

**Well, I hope you enjoyed reading chapter 6! Please leave a review! I'll really appreciate it! Until then, adieu~  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Love and Friendship**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho.**

**Chapter 7**

Natsume's eyes snapped open, his face sweating. _A dream…? _He thought. He closed his eyes. _No, those were my memories…but why would I remember them now?_ He wondered.

"Natsume, you're awake!" Botan's voice said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He turned to look at her. "Botan…"

Her lips curved into a bright smile. "I'm glad you're awake. You've been unconscious for two days now," she said.

His eyes widened. "Two days?!" he yelled, jerking out of the bed. He was about to ask further questions when his stomach growled. He blinked then blushed in embarrassment.

She laughed heartily. "Wait here. I'll get you something to eat," she said, standing up from the chair where she was sitting and began to walk to the door. She reached for the doorknob before looking back at Natsume to see him staring outside the window. She twisted the doorknob and opened the door; closing it behind her once she was outside.

She leaned against the door and stared at the floor. She let out a heavy sigh and headed downstairs.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Hayate felled to the ground. Mouri bent down to him and patted his back. "So, what did you see?" he asked, still staring down at Botan's room and looking at Natsume.

"It was true," Hayate responded.

The blonde diverted his attention to Hayate, a frown marring his handsome features, confused at the response. "What do you mean?"

"What that woman said… It was all true. He cared," Hayate said, his eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. "I remember everything now."

Mouri's eyes softened before he looked over at a dart lying on the floor. It was a normal dart, but when it was shot at someone's head, it could trigger the person's memories and the person that shoots the dart would see their memories. But after they see what they wanted to see, the dart would disappear. It was a weapon that was not to be used. One wrong move and Hayate could've been stuck in Natsume's memories.

Then a thought occurred him. Their boss would be angry at Hayate for using it and probably would punish him for it. No, their boss didn't care for any of his henchmen; he just wanted to use the dart for his own. His brows furrowed at the thought. "Come on, let's go before _he _finds out," he said and pulled on Hayate's arm.

Hayate nodded his head and stood up.

He didn't want to go back, but he knew he had to.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

They opened the door quietly, as not to be heard by the other assassins. Mouri entered first, looking around warily before looking back at Hayate. The raven-haired teen entered and closed the door quietly. He was about to take another step when he heard a voice. The voice of his nightmares.

"Hayate."

He stopped dead in his tracks, cold sweat trailing down to his chin. He gulped down a lump and turned around and was greeted by the sight of a man with black hair and black eyes, looking down at him. He bit his lip. Why did he appear now?

"I heard you use the dart," the man said.

He stared at the ground before nodding his head slowly.

"Why?" the man asked.

"Boss, I—" The man didn't let him continue, he walked towards Hayate and tilted his chin, forcing him to look at him in the face. "Natsume?" he guessed.

No response.

"Hn," the man said, letting go of his chin harshly. "You lost a place to call home and a family long ago."

"I didn't lose them. You took me, you bastard!" he shouted angrily at the man. The taller male threw his head back and laughed evilly. "So you remember now?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

"You know, Hayate," he started. "You can use the dart in two ways. One, to see someone's memories and two," he paused and smirked, "to erase someone's memories," he finished, the smirk on his face widening.

Hayate's eyes widened. "You—"

The man pouted, mocking him. "I had only two darts. I used the first one to erase your memories and unfortunately, you used the second one to see Natsume's memories. It's a shame I don't have a third one. If I did, I can just erase your memories again," he said wickedly.

Hayate gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. "Why you—I'll kill you!"

The man laughed. "You want to know what I did? I erased your memories and took you here. Then, I lied to you about your family, I told you they abandoned you, that you were an unwanted child," he said and his laughter got louder. "You were just so stupid and you actually believed me!"

Mouri's eyes blazed with fire. "How dare you do that to Hayate!"

The man's laugh subsided and he sneered at the blonde. "If I hadn't done that, you wouldn't have met him, boy!"

The blonde's eyes widened at how true his words were. _He's right. _

Hayate was clenching his fists so tight that blood was dripping from his hands. He took a few deep, calming breaths and took Mouri's hand in his, which caused the other male to gasp. "I quit," he said bravely.

The sneer on the man's face felled and he glared at Hayate. "Why you little twerp…!"

"And I'm taking Mouri with me," Hayate added. That angered the man and he grabbed his sword and unsheathed it.

"Not if I kill you first!" the man yelled and was about to attack Hayate when he felt a sharp pain erupted at his stomach. Blood trailed down his chin and dripped on the ground. He looked back to see who did it and was surprised to see a guy with brown hair and purple eyes.

Hayate's eyes widened. "Rei…"

Rei's lips curved into a smirk and he nodded his head at them. "Go," he said. Hayate's eyes softened and the two of them nodded their heads, running out of the house.

"Wait!" the man called.

Rei smirked evilly at him. "Let's play, shall we?"

XOXOXOXOXOXO

It was raining.

They had been running for hours now, their steps making a splash sound. They stopped running and panted heavily, hands on their knees.

"Hayate? Mouri-san?"

Hayate and Mouri recognized the voice. They looked up to see Botan, an umbrella in her hand and a shock and bewildered look on her face.

"What happened?" she asked.

Their visions suddenly became blurry. Hayate grabbed Botan's shoulders, making her gasp in surprise. "Hayate, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

He looked at her before closing his eyes slowly. "Natsume…" was the last thing he said before he collapsed on her chest, unconscious.

Mouri's eyes were also beginning to close slowly. "Hayate…" the raven-haired teen's name slipped out of his lips before he collapsed on Botan's shoulder, unconscious.

"W-What? H-Hang in there!" she yelled, panic and concern welling in her. She wrapped their arms around her shoulders and began to carry them to her house.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Natsume looked at the door. "Botan's back," he said before walking towards it and looking around for the keys, smiling when he saw it. He took them and fiddled with them, looking for the door key. "Where the hell is the fucking door key…" he mumbled.

"Ha! Found it!" he exclaimed when he found the key before pushing it into the lock and unlocking the door, opening it. "You're late! Where—" he stopped mid-sentence when he saw Hayate and Mouri draped on Botan's shoulders.

"Hurry. We have to get them inside," she said. He nodded his head, a frown marring his features as he watched as Botan stepped in, confusion on his face.

"What happened?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't know," she responded.

His gaze felled to his twin. "Hayate…"

Botan's eyes softened and she looked down to the floor, suddenly feeling sympathy for Natsume. The said person sighed heavily and wrapped Hayate's arm around his shoulder. "I'll carry him. You carry Mouri," he said. She nodded her head.

Botan felt a tug at her skirt and she looked down at Nouyato. "Who are they?" he asked innocently, before looking at Hayate and Mouri.

She smiled and patted his head, making him look at her. "They're my friends," she replied in a sisterly way, though the underlying concern in her voice was evident.

"Sis," she heard Akito called. She looked at him. "What happened?" he asked. She shook her head as a response. He sighed heavily before looking at the two unconscious boys and watched as Natsume and Botan carried them to his sister's room.

Nouyato ran over to where Akito was and asked innocently, "Are they going to be okay?"

Akito smiled at him and bent down until they were eye-leveled and patted his head. "I don't know, kiddo. But everything's going to be alright, 'kay?"

Nouyato nodded his head but he couldn't help but notice the frown on Akito's face.

_Let's just hope it will… _Akito thought.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

Botan stared at Hayate and Mouri, who were now lying on her bed. She sighed and sat down on the chair beside the bed.

She turned to look at Natsume who was opening the door. He glanced at her before his gaze trailed down to the two unconscious on the bed and sighed. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Botan closed her eyes for a few moments before opening them. She crossed her arms and put them on the unoccupied side of the bed and stared at Hayate's face. "When did things get this messed up…?"

**So, there you have it. I haven't updated this story for nearly a month now. It's just that I got focused on A Collection of Oneshots that I almost forgot about this fanfic. Hehe, sorry folks! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading chapter 7! Review, ne? Until then, adieu~**


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